In nature, many anadromous fish live most of their adulthood in seawater, but swim upstream to freshwater for the purpose of breeding. As a result, anadromous fish hatch from their eggs and are born in freshwater. As these fish grow, they swim downstream and gradually adapt to the seawater.
Fish hatcheries have experienced difficulty in raising these types of fish because the window of time in which the pre-adult fish adapts to seawater (e.g., undergoes smoltification) is short-lived, and can be difficult to pinpoint. As a result, these hatcheries experience significant morbidity and mortality when transferring anadromous fish from freshwater to seawater. Additionally, many of the fish that do survive the transfer from freshwater to seawater are stressed, and consequently, experience decreased feeding, and increased susceptibility to disease. Therefore, these anadromous fish often do not grow well after they are transferred to seawater.
The aquaculture industry loses millions of dollars each year due to problems it encounters in transferring pre-adult anadromous fish from freshwater to seawater. Hence, a need exists to improve methods involved in transferring pre-adult anadromous fish to seawater. A further need exists to increase survival and growth, and reduce stress, of pre-adult anadromous fish that have been transferred to seawater.